[MikeEby]

************************************************************ *************************************

UPDATED 1/26/09 Added Customizable hotkey support for over 35 functions

and bug fixes.


Global checkbox options now have persistence.


Support for dual monitors, when the application is moved past 60% on the second monitor the blanking then moves to the second monitor. Only works on side by side monitor setups.


************************************************************ **************************************

Was bored on this cold weekend and decided to put together a little application to control aspect ratios for software based DVD & Blu-ray players. It’s pretty basic right now but does seem to work. Any feedback would be appreciated.


Requirements: DOT.NET framework version 2.0 (XP only)


For PowerDVD make sure you have "Stretch to Fit the Screen" checked under Aspect Ratios on the PowerDVD context menu.


Start the application to control. To create a new Aspect Ratio Press "New" button select the application to control. Name your new aspect and press OK. You should then be able move the software player around on the screen using the appropriate buttons.

New Aspect Ratio


To assign a function to a hotkey press the "Hot Key" button. Select the function and the hotkey.

Assign Hotkey


View assigned hotkey press the "?" button next to close box on the main screen.

Hotkey Help


Download and unzip from this link.


Thanks!

Mike

 

[Vern Dias]

YXY already does this without the need for the .Net bloatware and supports 36 presets....

If you really feel the need to duplicate existing, working code, then you probably should go all the way and use F1 through F12 in combination with Ctrl and Alt just like YXY does.

Just playing with you a little bit.....


Vern

 

[ericeash]

might try this out just to see. i really hate yxy, i wish the software players had aspect ratio control integrated like theatertek did.

 

[applesandrice]

Thanks for putting this together. I'm going to try it tonight.


If it'll stretch Blu-rays and HD DVDs in PowerDVD then I'm sold. I'd be quite happy to never EVER open TMT again.



*edit*


Okay, I installed it and tried it and it has the same trouble YXY does with stretching HD material in PowerDVD. Looks like I'm still stuck with rotten bloody TMT for the time being . . .

 

[MikeEby]



Quote:
Originally Posted by applesandrice /forum/post/15659532


Thanks for putting this together. I'm going to try it tonight.


If it'll stretch Blu-rays and HD DVDs in PowerDVD then I'm sold. I'd be quite happy to never EVER open TMT again.



*edit*


Okay, I installed it and tried it and it has the same trouble YXY does with stretching HD material in PowerDVD. Looks like I'm still stuck with rotten bloody TMT for the time being . . .

1-26-09


I just uploaded a new version with 35 function hotkey support and lots of bug fixes. That problem is with PowerDVD, I don't know if Vern has a fix or not.


Mike

 

[John Kotches]

Mike:


I'm not trying to bust your chops or anything but I'm curious why an application like this would require .NET.


Can you enlighten my non-MS programming self on the requirement?

 

[MikeEby]



Quote:
Originally Posted by John Kotches /forum/post/15661557


Mike:


I'm not trying to bust your chops or anything but I'm curious why an application like this would require .NET.


Can you enlighten my non-MS programming self on the requirement?

This excerpt is from Wiki describing the .NET Framework.


The Microsoft .NET Framework is a software framework that is available with several Microsoft Windows operating systems. It includes a large library of pre-coded solutions to common programming problems and a virtual machine that manages the execution of programs written specifically for the framework. The .NET Framework is a key Microsoft offering and is intended to be used by most new applications created for the Windows platform.


The pre-coded solutions that form the framework's Base Class Library cover a large range of programming needs in a number of areas, including user interface, data access, database connectivity, cryptography, web application development, numeric algorithms, and network communications. The class library is used by programmers, who combine it with their own code to produce applications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_Framework


Some of the runtime libraries I use for this app are things like saving the hotkey and aspect ratio information to disk. They are saved in an XML format, I can simply call the .NET library to read and write these types of files using a couple of lines of code rather than having written all of the code to perform the parsing task. The framework also manages memory so the programmer in theory doesn’t need to worry about memory management.



The direction I would like to go with this little app is to implement things like control of lenses sled, masking system, projector control via serial communications and perhaps some theater lighting control.


Mike

 

[applesandrice]

Mike,


Any ideas about a possible workaround for the PowerDVD issue? From everything I've read here on AVS it sounds like something Cyberlink broke in one of their previous builds and they've never seen fit to fix it. TotalMedia Theater, on the other hand, seems to be the only player that will work with an aspect ratio controller like yours or YXY, but it's gotta be one of the most finnicky pieces of dog crap I've ever seen.


At any rate, I think it's great that you're doing this and wish you the best.

-Eric

 

[JDLIVE]



Quote:
Originally Posted by applesandrice /forum/post/15659532


Okay, I installed it and tried it and it has the same trouble YXY does with stretching HD material in PowerDVD. Looks like I'm still stuck with rotten bloody TMT for the time being . . .

What's the problem? I've been using YXY with PowerDVD for a long time, versions 7 & 8. There was one build that broke things back in version 7, but that was fixed a while ago, and 8 has never been a problem for me.

 

[applesandrice]



Quote:
Originally Posted by JDLIVE /forum/post/15664840


What's the problem? I've been using YXY with PowerDVD for a long time, versions 7 & 8. There was one build that broke things back in version 7, but that was fixed a while ago, and 8 has never been a problem for me.

I've had the same trouble with both 7 and 8. When playing back Blu-ray and HD DVDs the image won't stretch enough to fill the screen. With YXY, black bars remain over the top and bottom portions of the screen (as though the "blanking" feature is malfunctioning) and the image continues to stretch while the black bars chop off the top and bottom. With Mike's program, the image just stops stretching.


I know there was a "fix" that worked for some folks here, where they could replace some files which had been broken by Cyberlink's updates with previous versions. As I recall, though, that didn't always fix the problem and there never seemed to be a real concrete solution.


I don't know. Maybe I should try it again since I can't seem to go a full week without having to uninstall/upgrade/downgrade or otherwise tweak some piece of my HTPC.

 

[JDLIVE]

Hmm...I assume you're starting with PDVD running in "window" mode, not full screen? Could be a problem specific to the version of drivers for your video card, too I suppose. I've been using nVidia and some older drivers that I haven't changed in a while.

 

[MikeEby]



Quote:
Originally Posted by JDLIVE /forum/post/15674784


Hmm...I assume you're starting with PDVD running in "window" mode, not full screen? Could be a problem specific to the version of drivers for your video card, too I suppose. I've been using nVidia and some older drivers that I haven't changed in a while.

You might be on to something there. I have a Desktop PC with PDVD 7.3 and the latest update that exibits the problem yet the notebook I do my development on has no issues. Both have ATI video the notebook is an X1400 while the desktop is a HD-3850 and the drivers of course are different. I have a Nvidia 9800GT waiting to try in the desktop to see if it shows the issue, then perhaps we can find the root cause.


Mike

 

[applesandrice]

I've got an ASUS EAH3450 (ATI) and the drivers are at version 8.10. I think that's the latest version available -- at least on the ASUS website.


Last night I tried Vern's "replacing DxRender.dll" files workaround, after which PowerDVD wouldn't open at all. Not even after I put the original .dll files back. Did a quick "System Restore" and I'm at least back where I started.

 

[MikeEby]



Quote:
Originally Posted by applesandrice /forum/post/15675985


I've got an ASUS EAH3450 (ATI) and the drivers are at version 8.10. I think that's the latest version available -- at least on the ASUS website.


Last night I tried Vern's "replacing DxRender.dll" files workaround, after which PowerDVD wouldn't open at all. Not even after I put the original .dll files back. Did a quick "System Restore" and I'm at least back where I started.

XP or Vista? I'm running Vista on both.



Mike

 

[applesandrice]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeEby /forum/post/15676571


XP or Vista? I running Vista on both.



Mike

Vista Ultimate (32 bit). I "upgraded" from XP Media Center a while back. Had the same problem there, too.

 

[MikeEby]

I installed the Nvidia 9800GT and ran it at 1080p and I was able to stretch the image fine. I still have to do a little more testing before I consider it fixed but the problem does appear to be related to the ATI driver.


Mike

 

[applesandrice]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeEby /forum/post/15690737


I installed the Nvidia 9800GT and ran it at 1080p and I was able to stretch the image fine. I still have to do a little more testing before I consider it fixed but the problem does appear to be related to the ATI driver.


Mike

Crap. Looks like I may have picked the wrong card, huh?


Just to see if maybe an older version of the driver would fix things I decided to install 8.3, but it didn't make any difference. I suppose I may not have done a thorough enough job uninstalling the newer version first and I might try again just to be sure, but I'm quickly getting to the point where I just want to throw up my hands and forget it. Playback right now seems relatively stable for both TMT and PowerDVD -- at least to the point where if a disc one play in one it'll (so far, anyway) play in the other.


Your latest version looks terrific -- keep up the good work!

 

[MikeEby]

Your right, my ATI card was super stable; I don't want to give that up. Plus I use Powerstrip because I run custom resolutions not sure if it works with the newer NVidia cards, I still am running an old CRT projector and I love the inky blacks and total FTB. The whole reason for the AR control in my case is only use the active pixel area for scope movies and conserve bandwidth.


It looks like it won't be too hard to and change resolution option to the application.


Mike

 

[applesandrice]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeEby /forum/post/15696184


Your right, my ATI card was super stable; I don't want to give that up. Plus I use Powerstrip because I run custom resolutions not sure if it works with the newer NVidia cards, I still am running an old CRT projector and I love the inky blacks and total FTB. The whole reason for the AR control in my case is only use the active pixel area for scope movies and conserve bandwidth.


It looks like it won't be too hard to and change resolution option to the application.


Mike

I'm not running Powerstrip on my setup -- should I be?

 

[MikeEby]



Quote:
Originally Posted by applesandrice /forum/post/15696746


I'm not running Powerstrip on my setup -- should I be?

I don't think so unless you need custom resolutions or refresh rates. A CRT projector is NOT a fixed pixel device so I can run just about any resolution or refresh rate up to its maximum but we try to keep the bandwidth usage to a minimum because that's what softens up the image. I will most likely be using 1920X800.


IMO if you are using a digital display then you should stick with the native resolution of the device, most video drivers offer those resolutions as standard options so Powerstrip is not needed.



Mike